Japanese cooling specialist Scythe is readying a new variant of the Shuriken CPU cooler, this time of a slightly larger built, while respecting its design ideology that it should be slim form-factor friendly. The Big Shuriken differs from Shuriken in its dimensions, fan size, and number of heat-pipes. It measures 125 × 135 × 58 mm, and holds a slimmer 120 mm fan, in comparison to the Shuriken having a 100 mm fan, and a height of 64 mm, which is slightly higher.

The basic construction remains the same: from a CPU contact base that doubles up as a heatsink, originate four copper heat-pipes, that convey heat to a dense array of aluminum fins, which is directly under the air-flow of the fan. The PWM-controlled fan spins at speeds of 650~1600 rpm, pushing 15.77~38.05 CFM of air, with noise outputs ranging in 12.91~28.89 dBA. The cooler weighs in at 405 g (around 0.9 lbs), and is compatible with most existing desktop CPU sockets including LGA-1366/775, and AMD AM3/AM2+/AM2/939. There is no word on its global availability and price yet.

You know I have the Mugen and the Mugen II, the Mugen 1 works better, and with the MII fan it is even better yet, plus the MII is ultra heavy.... why mention it. Because they are not using copper bases anymore, and I suspect a lot of the new coolers may not be so great.

OK, I never really understood how these things work so about a week ago I did some research. Apparently, the pipes are filled with some sort of inert gas. The cooling happens as the gas is heated, moves up the pipe, dissipated by the heat fins and then sinks back to the bottom again. It's the same way old-style radiators work. You send steam up the pipe, it releases heat at the radiator, condenses, and the liquid water then drips back down to the boiler.

However the trick with steam radiators is that the pipe runs have to be on a slope, otherwise you get water pooling which then blocks the flow of steam.

Now since there is no phase change with a gas - just different temperature gradients - do you still need the pipes to be on an angle? Or are you just relying on the gas expanding and contracting? Either way though, it would seem that having heat pipes exactly parallel to the base would reduce the efficiency of the heat transfer. Right? Or have I got this all wrong?

OK, I never really understood how these things work so about a week ago I did some research. Apparently, the pipes are filled with some sort of inert gas. The cooling happens as the gas is heated, moves up the pipe, dissipated by the heat fins and then sinks back to the bottom again. It's the same way old-style radiators work. You send steam up the pipe, it releases heat at the radiator, condenses, and the liquid water then drips back down to the boiler.

However the trick with steam radiators is that the pipe runs have to be on a slope, otherwise you get water pooling which then blocks the flow of steam.

Now since there is no phase change with a gas - just different temperature gradients - do you still need the pipes to be on an angle? Or are you just relying on the gas expanding and contracting? Either way though, it would seem that having heat pipes exactly parallel to the base would reduce the efficiency of the heat transfer. Right? Or have I got this all wrong?

Click to expand...

I've wondered the same thing... if the pipes aren't sloped right, is it less effective?